Seesaw



(No Model.

o. A. WOODBURY,

SEESAW.

No. 481,994. Patented Sept. 6, 1892.

WITN ESSES Unirse CRAYTON A. VOODBURY, OF RUTLAND, VERMONT.

SEESAW.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 481,994, dated September 6, 1892.

Application tiled December 23,`1891. Serial No. 4:15 ,973. (No model.)

struction hereinafter described and pointed out.

In the accompanying drawings, Figui-el is a broken side elevation of the device; Fig. 2, a partial plan of the seesaw-board; Fig. 3, a bottom plan of the board closed together for storage; Fig. 4, a side elevation of a supporting-frame.

A compound roof-shaped frame or horse consisting of two simple rectangular frames is used to support the seesaw, as indicated. The frames are connected together by hinges 2, secured to the side bars 3 of the frames.

4 denotes the cross-bars, secu red to extensions of the side bars above or beyond the hinges. The ends of said bars 3 are extended beyond the hinges and notched, as indicated at 5, and are thereby adapted to receive the-cross-bars in such manner as to support them at an angle to the side bars and so that when the feet of the two frames are spread apart said crossbars will be brought together, as shown in Fig. 1, and will be solidly supported both laterally and vertically bythe respective walls of the notches. The pintlcs of the hinges are placed alittle below the bottom of the notches, so as not to interfere with the closing together of the cross-bars. The feet of the two frames are beveled in order that they may be parallel with the ground or floor When fully spread and the frame in position for operation. The upper edges of the cross-bars are notched at G to form a retaining seat or fulcrum for the teetering or seesaw board, and these edges are preferably rounded.

The board is composed of two adjustable members, each consisting of several lon gitudinal strips or slats 7, tied together by transverse bars 8 and 9, to which they are secured,

spaces being left between them each equal to or larger than the width of a Slat. The outer bars 7l may be bolted to bars 8 and the others tacked or screwed thereto. The bar 9 may be tacked or screwed to the longitudinal bars or strips 5 but the particular means of fastening is not important nor theprecise number orlength of' said bars, and these and other mechanical details may be varied, provided substantially the same construction and operation are preserved. It is preferred to make bars 9 wide enough for comfortable seats. The slats 7 of the two members of the board interlap at their adjacent ends, as represented, so that the slats of one alternate with those of the other, the cross-bars being secured to the overlapped 'slats, so that the transverse tying-bar 8 of each member of the board is nearest the seat end of the other member, whereby the two members are permanently connected, the bars 8 being secured upon the slats after they are interlapped. This construction provides a very simple union of the members and one which permits the adjustment of the length of the whole board by simply pushing the two members together endwise, so that they overlap more or less, as desired. Each bar S is made to project beyond its respect-ive series of strips on the side opposite to the projection of the other for the purpose of providing a rest or support to the outside strip of said other series. Each bar 9 may also project in like manner, if desired, to cover the end of the outside strip of the other member of the board when closed. This projection is preferably on the right-hand side and is convenient for grasping with the hand in use. The inner edge of'each bar 8 is beveled at 10, so that it may not interfere with the seesaw motion of the board on its fulcrum. These bars prevent the board from slipping on the fnlcrum; but as they are separated for some distance when the two members of the board are pushed together they will not in such oase guard against slipping, and the additional cross-bar 8 may be fixed to the slats of one member of the board near its cross-bar 8 and these bars arranged to receive the fulcrum between them,whereby slipping is obviated, as indicated in Fig. 3. The adjacent edges of these cross-bars are preferably rounded and are so placed as to receive the fulcrum between IOO them at 13. If desired, one member may be made alittle longer than the other, so that the seat 13 between the bars S and S shall be equidistaut from the outer ends of the board and the latter be balanced on the horse. If one of the players is heavier than the other, they can be made to balance by pushing the two members of the board together part way and keeping seat 13 on the fulcrum, the heaviest player of course being placed on the shortest member; or if bar S and seat 13 be not Vused the same effect can be produced by shortening the board, as stated, and so placing it that the cross-bar S nearest the heaviest player shall be adjacent to the fulcrum, though this latter arrangement does not so securely provide against slipping.

By making the two members of the board of slats or strips and interlapping the same and securing them by cross-bars, as described, I avoid the necessity for the loops and other ixtnres heretofore employed to provide for the endwise adjustment oi' the two members or for preventing slipping, and I also thus provide for adjusting the two members so that players of diiferent weights may balance each other, and I at the same time increase the lightness and elasticity of the board without materially diminishing its strength at and near the center, where the maximum strain occurs.

Another advantage of the improved construction is the adaptation of both the horse andtheboardtobecompactlyfolded forstorage or transportation. Thus the two members of the board can be closed entirely together, as indicated in Fig. 3, in which case they constitute practically a simple board with cleats at each end; and it may be noted that bars or seats 9 and the bars S of each member extend beyond the slats thereof on one side the width of one of the slats, whereby they extend over and cover the outer slat of the other member when the members are pushed together or closed. It is obvious that the snpporting-f rame can also be folded, and that the whole device may thus be put in very' compact form.

Having described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. The seesaw-board consisting of two members, longitudinally movable with respect to each other, composed of intel-lapping strips provided at each end with a transverse bar secured to the strips, said bars being on opposite sides of the same, and each of the under bars extending laterally beyond its series of strips on one side thereof to afford a support for the exterior strip of the other member, substantially as set forth.

2. The seesaw-board consisting of two members, longitudinally movable with respect to each other, composed of interlapping strips provided at each end with a transverse bar, the bars of the adjacent inner overlapped ends being on their under side and adapted to be arranged close to a i'ulcrum on each side thereof, in combination with a suitable support constituting such fulcrum, substantially as set forth.

3. In combination, a seesaw-board and a horse, the latter composed of two frames hinged together and having their side bars extended above or beyond the hinges and provided with notches to receive cross-bars to act as a fulcrum when the legs of the horse are spread and said cross-bars notched to retain the board laterally, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CRAYTON A. XVOODBURY.

W'itnesses:

MARK F. RICHARDSON, EDWARD E. BARBER. 

